Wind-powered Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems for Water Quality Enhancement
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Water
Project value$77,175
Project Type
Pilot Project
Sub Sector
Wastewater Management and Treatment
Grant amount$30,250
Program type
GMF
Municipality
Town of Three Hills, AB
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
3,042
Project timeline
2011 - 2012
Project number
10334
Description
The Town of Three Hills will conduct a field test of wind-powered water and wastewater treatment systems designed to deliver better water and effluent qualities without additional chemical treatment.
The town will conduct two tests of wind-powered aeration: one in one of the town’s four 6,000 m2 raw water storage ponds, and one in the municipal wastewater polishing lagoon, which has a total surface area of over 205,000 m2. In each system, one small test area will be operated temporarily as an in-situ treatment zone. The test zones will each cover approximately 500 m2. In the wastewater lagoon, the researchers will install a surface membrane to shade the test zone and test “passive shading” as a means of reducing energy demands and related GHG emissions. The researchers will monitor the technologies and evaluate their performance based on water quality improvement, reduced need for chemical treatment, renewable energy generation, treatment cost, operating effort and system reliability.
If successful, the field test will result in the full-scale installation of wind-powered aeration systems in the water storage ponds and the wastewater polishing lagoon. The town will also install additional passive shading systems where appropriate. The full-scale installation of the aerated and shade-controlled areas will cover approximately 25% of the ponds’ surface area. The project is expected to enhance the quality of the water and effluent and to allow for more re-use of treated wastewater. In the wastewater lagoon, total suspended solids (TSS) levels are expected to be reduced by 29%, chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels by 57% and ammonia levels by 75%. The new aeration method is expected to reduce pH values in effluent by 1.6 and eliminate the use of 3,500 litres of hydrochloric acid annually to control pH. As the technology uses wind and solar power, the full-scale project is anticipated to save 12 MWh of energy annually and reduce GHG emissions by 12 tonnes. Results for the water storage ponds should be similar but less pronounced.
(Project description from original funding application)
Applicant
Town of Three Hills, AB